Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to antennas and methods for making the same, and in particular to an antenna that can operate over a wide range of frequencies and frequency bands. Typical applications include, but are not limited to, cellular networks, data networks, and terrestrial television broadcast reception. The capability to operate over a large bandwidth range with good performance is a benefit for any communication application that operates over numerous channels or over multiple frequency bands.
Broad bandwidth antennas have the desirable characteristics of relatively constant impedance or low voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) across their operating bandwidth. Additionally, minimal variation in antenna radiation pattern and gain across the operating bandwidth are also desirable for broad bandwidth antennas. Achieving those goals over an octave or more of frequency range is a non-trivial performance objective. In some instances sophisticated feed networks can be utilized to improve VSWR bandwidth, but often at the expense of radiation efficiency and complexity. Radiation pattern stability across a frequency band is primarily a function of antenna size and shape, as is efficiency and gain. True broadband antenna performance is best realized through careful design of the antenna shape and structure to provide inherent broadband characteristics.
Therefore, a need exists for improvement in the field of antennas that are efficient, are relatively inexpensive and simple to manufacture, and that offer good impedance and gain performance over a wide bandwidth range.
Description of the Prior Art
Consumer use of cable or satellite providers for broadband services such as television and internet service has become ubiquitous in many homes, offices, and commercial environments. However, there remain a large number of consumers that prefer to avoid the expenses of a cable or satellite subscription and opt to receive terrestrial television broadcasts. After the switch by broadcasters from analog terrestrial broadcasts to digital terrestrial broadcasts, consumers that chose to avoid cable and satellite services required new terrestrial television antennas to receive digital signals as the as the majority of terrestrial television broadcast stations have moved their broadcasts from the VHF band to the UHF band. The majority of television receiver manufacturers no longer sell receivers with antennas, and many sell receivers that are in fact simply monitors without internal tuners or antennas. This has created a new consumer need for modern antennas that can receive the broadband signals now used that are transmitted under the Advanced Television Standard Committee (ATSC) terrestrial television broadcast standard.
There are prior art antennas that exist for this purpose, but many such antennas are made for indoor use only, or operate only marginally performance-wise across the entire ATSC spectrum.
The prior art devices are aesthetically unpleasing, flimsy, expensive, or difficult to use. Therefore, there exists a need for an antenna that is aesthetically pleasing, rugged, weatherproof, less expensive, and easy to install and adjust, that also provides superior performance.